Mechanical properties improvement in an advanced automotive steel

Abstract

Due to the increase in environmental and safety regulations that have been applied worldwide, the automotive industry has seen the need to develop steel alloys whose mechanical properties perform, not only reliably, but at a low cost. This is why the study of the third – generation steel has taken a defining position in the industry; due to the high mechanical properties, it offers and the advantages that will be reflected in the production of vehicles. In this sense, this study proposes an alternative to traditional materials, which not only reduces costs but also meets the characteristics required by the market based on two different processing routes: 1) hot – rolling + water quenching (HR + WQ), and 2)hot – rolling + water quenching + sub-zero treatment (HR + WQ + ST).